The straight-sets loss to Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s ATP Finals final does not do justice to Taylor Fritz’s phenomenal 2024 season.
The World No. 4 made history entering Sunday’s match, becoming the first American man since Andre Agassi in 1999 to reach the finals of the U.S. Open and ATP Finals in the same calendar year, not to mention the first ATP Finals finalist since James Blake in 2006. Earlier in the year, the uber-consistent Fritz also became the first American to reach the second week of all four majors in a year since 2003.
As the runner-up at the ATP Finals, Fritz put up a valiant fight against Sinner, combining for the highest performance rating score for any match in 2024. While the final score of 6-4, 6-4 suggests otherwise, the 27-year-old produced quality tennis and pushed the Italian to the brink by winning 46/61 of his first-serve points and connecting on 20 winners. Ultimately, Fritz’s 15 unforced errors caused his undoing, but his serve and return quality proved he’s worthy of being a top-5 ranked player.